Start with the task
Ergonomics examines how work, equipment, and the environment fit the person doing the job. In nursing, an ergonomic review can include patient handling, documentation stations, supply storage, repeated reaching, and prolonged standing.
NIOSH's ergonomics program guidance emphasizes understanding the actual work process, tasks, equipment, and workplace layout. That approach makes the conversation more useful than a general reminder to maintain good posture. A nurse cannot correct a poorly positioned workstation solely by concentrating harder on body mechanics.
Describe the problem precisely
A practical observation should name the task, where it occurs, and what makes it difficult. For example: “The medication preparation surface is fixed at a height that requires me to keep my shoulders raised during repeated preparation tasks.” That description identifies something the employer can evaluate.
Other observations might concern a screen that is difficult to position, supplies that require repeated reaching, or a frequently used cart that is difficult to maneuver. These examples are prompts for assessment, not a diagnosis of injury or proof that a particular design caused symptoms.
Ask whether the difficulty affects several workers, whether equipment adjustment is available, and whether the problem changes with workload or shift. Include staff who perform the task regularly in the review.
Consider changes to the work
NIOSH describes an ergonomics program that identifies risk factors, involves management and workers, implements controls, and evaluates results. Possible local questions include:
- Can the work surface, display, or equipment position be adjusted?
- Can frequently used supplies be placed within more convenient reach?
- Can an unnecessary carrying or repeated-handling step be removed?
- Is there a suitable alternative device or layout to evaluate?
- Does a proposed change create a new access or infection-control problem?
The appropriate solution depends on the task. A change should be tried with the people who use the workspace and evaluated after implementation, rather than judged only by its appearance.
Treat patient handling separately
NIOSH explicitly distinguishes its general ergonomics guidance for handling objects from the specialized considerations involved in handling people. A patient may move unexpectedly, have clinical limitations, or need a particular mobility approach.
Use the employer's approved assessment and equipment procedures for patient movement. See safe patient handling programs. General lifting advice for a box does not establish a safe method for transferring a patient.
Close the review loop
An ergonomic concern should have an owner and a next step: assessment, equipment adjustment, a trial, or a reasoned decision that another approach is needed. Nurses can describe whether the change actually improves the task and whether it remains usable during a busy shift.
Work-related symptoms also need the appropriate occupational-health reporting and evaluation process. A workspace review and medical assessment address different questions; one should not be treated as a substitute for the other.
Sources
- NIOSH: Elements of Ergonomics Programs (accessed 2026-09-17).
- NIOSH: Enviromechanical Hazards (accessed 2026-09-17).